Epoxy compositions are formed, at a minimum, from an epoxy resin and a hardener. The epoxy resin can include one or more epoxide groups, while the hardener can include a variety of structures that react with the epoxide group. These two components chemically react, or “cure,” to form a cured epoxy product. Upon curing the epoxy composition forms a highly cross-linked thermoset.
Cured epoxy compositions can have a variety of properties. These properties can depend upon the choice of epoxy resin, hardener, ratio of components, reaction conditions and additives, if any, present in the epoxy composition. For certain applications, the choice of these components can help to achieve the desired result. Control over the morphology of the cured epoxy composition may also help in achieving these desired results. How to accomplish control over the morphology of the cured epoxy composition, however, is an area ripe for investigation.